Curtain confiner



J. '0. HOLMES, CURTAIN CONFINERL APPLICATION man MAR. 2.19m".

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

FIG. 8.

INVENTDR 0. M ww w AT T [JEN EYE UNITED STATES JOSEPH O. HOLMES, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

CURTAIN CONFINER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

Application filed March 2, 1921. Serial No. 449,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JosEPH O. HOLMES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements vin Curtain Gonfiners, of which the following 1s a specification.

Thisinvention relates to a curtain confiner comprising a confining arm adjust-- ably secured to the vertical edge face of a window casing projecting inwardly from the wall surrounding the casing, the arm being adapted to be moved to a position ,beside said face when not in use, and to project inwardly therefrom into the room in position to support a draped curtain, and prevent the latter from being drawn outwardly by an air current through an open window.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a confiner including an arm, and simple, durable and effective means for adjustably securing the arm to the edge face of a window casing, and for frictionally maintaining the arm in any position to which it may be adjusted.

Another object is to provide a confiner including av confiner arm, and attaching means therefor. so connected as to prevent liability of accidental separation of the attaching means from the arm when the confiner is carried in stock, and prior to its application to a window casing.

The invention is embodied in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a window casing, and of the wall surrounding the same looking toward the inner side of the wall and casing, the casing being provided with a curtain ponfiner embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1, an edge view of a portion of the casing, and a side view oft-he confiner.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the confiner.

Figure 4 is a section on line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line 55 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a section on line 66 of Figure 4. Y

'Figures 7 and 8 are side views representing either of the washers hereinafter described, and showing different forms of washer orifice.

Th same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In the drawings, 12 represents a wood screw having a clamping head 13, the shank of the screw having a smooth or unthreaded stud portion between the head and threaded portion 14, 15 represents an arm composed of a fiat sided metal strip having in one end portion an orifice 16, formed to loosely surround the stud portion 14, so that the arm is adapted to swing on the screw when the latter is fixed to a window casing 17.

Two metal washers 18 are provided, each being adapted to be engaged with the screw in such manner as to rotate therewith, when the screw is being driven into the casing, and to be confined against rotation when the screw is driven home, said washers being preferably duplicates each of the other. The washers and the arm are assembled on the stud-portion 14. one washer, which is called the outer washer, bearing on the screw head 13, and on the fiat outer side of the arm 15., and the other. which is called the fiat inner washer, bearing on the inner side of the arm, the threaded portion of the screw projecting inwardly from the inner washer.

The engagement of the washers with the stud portion 14, whereby the washers are caused to rotate with the screw and are confined thereby when the screw is at rest, may be effected by providing the washer orifice 19 with a fiat face 19, engaged with a fiat face 14 formed on the stud portion 14, as shown by Figures 5 and 7, or by making the orifice 19 circular. as shown by Figure 8, and of such diameter that it has a frictional fit on the portion 14, the fit being so close that the washer will not be turned on the screw by its frictional engagement with the arm 15, when the latter is swung from either of the positions shown by full and dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2.

In either case, the inner washer must be adapted to be moved sidewise on the portion 14 by clamping pressure exerted on the washers and arm by the operation of driving the screw into the casing 17. It is desirable that the engagement of the inner washer with the screw portion 14 be close enough to prevent the accidental removal of the washers and arm from the screw when the confiner is held in stock ready for application to a casing.

The outer end portion 15 of the arm 15 is curved, as shown by Figure 3, and by dotted lines in Figure 1, so that it is adapted to confine a curtain 21 in the draped condition shown by Figure 1, when the arm is swung to a horizontal position. The width of the arm is such that it is adapted to stand beside the edge face of the casing 17, when the arm is swung to a vertical position, as

indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.

It will now be seen that the confiner may be installed by assembling the washers and the arm on the shank portion of the screw and driving the screw into the edge face of the casin 17. The washers turn with the screw, anc the arm may be prevented from turning by the bearing of one of its edges on the wall 22, or otherwise. When the screw is driven fully home, the washers and arm are clamped between the edge face of the casing and the head of the screw, so that the washers are prevented from rotating and are frictionally engaged with the arm and hold the latter in any position to which it'may be adjusted. In case the arm becomes too loose, it may be tightened by an inward turn of the screw. The sides" of the arm present flat surface areas contacting with the washers, so that there is an effective frictional engagement between the washers and the arm, to maintain the latter in any position to which it may be moved. The non-rotating engagement of the washers with the screw prevent the washers from turning with the arm, so that the inner washer is prevented from wearing the wood of the face 17.

I claim:

A curtain confiner comprising a flat sided arm, a screw having a head, a stud portion and a threaded portion, the arm being adapted to swing freely on'the stud portion, an d a pair of washers confined on the stud portion against rotation independently of the screw, and including an outer and an inner washer, bearing respectively on the flat outer and inner sides of the arm, the inner washer being movablesidewise on the stud portion by the operation of driving the screw into a window casing, so that when the screw is driven, the washers frictionally engage the flat sides of the arm, and confine the latter by friction in any position to which it may be swung, the washers being immovable by swinging movements of the arm, so that the inner washer is prevented from wearing the portion of the casingon which it bears.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed my signature.

Josnrn o. HOLMES. 

